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Digital Exposed Seminar

Wondering what “checking in” is all about? Wondering why people and not birds are tweeting? Do you know that your business needs to sell online but don’t know the first thing about it?

Digital Exposed is a seminar…

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A wild splash of prints




During the hippie era of 1974, Nava and Felix Kingston took a backpacker holiday through India and fell in love with the beautiful printed, patchwork cotton and cheesecloth Indian dresses.

These dresses became the inspiration behind their own label, Black Plum. Fast track to modern day and their label is still going strong with their daughter, Natalie joining the creative team.

Their inspiration has also moved on from India with fabrics and ideas being sourced from France to Italy, as well as European fashion catwalks and the creative minds of their designers.



The Black Plum design team create all their own prints and embroideries on top of the gorgeous textures of fabrics and trims they source elsewhere. They create collections to work as themes for styled outfits specifically with the Black Plum customer in mind.

And the name? Well it is of course from the delicious fruit. The designers were inspired after eating a Black Plum during the summertime.

Black Plum will showcase their new collection at Fashion Exposed from 10-12 March at the Sydney Exhibition Centre, after receiving positive feedback from their first appearance at Fashion Exposed Melbourne last year.



Expect a wild splash of prints and fantastic new designs on stand 2828.

The Black Plum and Ice Express brands have been growing from strength to strength even in these tough times. These affordable ranges provide cutting edge and commercial, contemporary styling using top quality natural fabrics.

There is so much variety within the ranges as well as sizes available from 10 to XXL.

Don’t miss them!

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Denim trending for spring…


Images via styleist.com

Denim continues to be the go-to trend – season after season the indigo thread refuses to budge from our most wanted list. Here is a selection from the streets of NYFW…

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2013, denim, , denim trend, denim trends, , go to trend, indigo, must-have, , new york fashion week street style, overall, , , , , , styleist, stylelist, stylish, | Leave a comment
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WATCH: Fashion Exposed Melbourne 2012

Watch all the highlights from the recent Fashion Exposed Melbourne trade event including exhibitor interviews, live look books, business seminar series and more…

See you in Sydney from 10-12 March, 2013. For more information visit fashionexposed.com

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , accessories, bags, bags and accessories, , , , , , , , , menswear, , threadz, white label noba, , yD | Leave a comment
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WATCH Cecylia.com chat to DEBUT winners A PART OF ME at FASHION EXPOSED 2012



We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Fashion Exposed DEBUT competition are Melbourne label, A Part of Me.

APOM is a collaboration between Kajsa Kvernmo and Kate Brook, “a partnership bound by a mutual affinity for handcrafted techniques, narrative and the natural world”.

This short video shot by local style blogger and Fashion Exposed media partner, Cecylia.com discusses how the girls came to work together after graduating from the Whitehouse Institute; how each of the garments from the collection tell a story and are inspired by childhood storybooks; and their aim to make each piece from APOM connect with the wearer and the maker.

Their website states:

APOM likes to promote all those involved in the creation of each garment, from the artist who creates the prints, to the manufacturers that construct each piece locally in Melbourne.

The aim is to empower the wearer to be informed on the life of a garment, to develop an awareness of the hand of the maker, and develop an attachment to the garment that transcends the notion of clothing itself.

APOM stands for what the duo believes in. They want their clothes to become a part of the wearer and part of the APOM story.

Congratulations again to APOM for taking out the award for Best Apparel.

See more of their work at, apom.net.au

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , a part of me, , blogger, cecylia, cecylia.com, , connect, , , debut fashion competition, , fashion award, , , , , , fashion exposed debut, , , , , handcrafted, , maker, manufacturer, , melbourne blogger, , , , , , , , , , , style blogger, , , , , , wearer, whitehouse institute, winner, | Leave a comment
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DIGITAL EXPOSED: Getting Social with Taboo Group FASHION EXPOSED 2012



Our world is connected to technology. This video chat discusses the power of blogs, instagram, pinterest, facebook & twitter and how you can connect to your consumer through these platforms.

As Strategy Director & co-founder of non-traditional marketing communications agency Taboo, Richard believes that a clear value proposition and meaningful engagement are key to success. Richard & Taboo tailor solutions that deliver return on marketing objectives while building brand equity & assets across the social media landscape.

KEY TIPS

1. Opinion Leader Seeding – Identify key influencers / expert consultants and early adopters across key segments & allow them to tell their story about the product in their own way via social media.

2. Integrate online & offline – Using experiential marketing & integrating with social media to build brand awareness.

3. Brand hijacking – The target audience takes ownership over the their relationship with the brand to create brand endorsement and word of mouth.

4. Building brand communities – Find brand fans / loyalists regardless of demographic who all have one thing in common – their love of the brand.

5. Be relevant & enhance lives – Find a way to add value to your customers lives that’s relevant to them at that particular time & reward them.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , bags & accessories trade fair, , , communication, , , , , , , , , , , marketing, , , , , , , , social media, , , success, The Taboo Group, , , , , , | Leave a comment
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TRENDS EXPOSED: The WGSN Retail Edit at FASHION EXPOSED 2012



WGSN reveal the latest trends in retail from unique pop up shop concepts, social media marketing stunts and inspiring visual merchandising from an international perspective.

Heidi is a creative thinker and leader with a strong product, marketing and sales background. She has experience in translating visionary ideas into strategies and everyday reality. Having joined WGSN in 2008, she leads the Australian and New Zealand business delivering insight, inspiration and actionable tools to the fashion and design industries.

THE KEY TRENDS
1. Hyperlocal
• Integrating into the community using social media platforms like pinterest, instagram etc
• Localising your products – sourcing from local areas
• Creating events, spaces & forums to open dialogue with your consumers
• Blog ups and online communities

2. Stakeholder Society
• Involve consumers in what you’re doing
• Consider your staff’s individual expertise
• Create a full & rounded experience relevant to your brand and customer
• Share your knowledge
• Use technology to add a third dimension

3. Romancing the Store
• Consider the new lifestyle – keep it comforting, tactile & close to home
• Don’t be afraid of focusing on particular interest groups
• Experiment with new retail formats that can’t be replicated online
• Location is a great way to inject a brand with new life

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , accessories, , autumn winter, bags & accessories, bags & accessories trade fair, blog ups, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , hauling, hyperlocal, latest trends, , , , , pop up shop, , , retail trends, romancing the store, , , , , , social media, social media marketing, spring summer, stakeholder society, , , , , , trend forecast, , trends in retail, , vm, wgsn, wgsn fashion forecast, wgsn retail edit, wgsn trends, | Leave a comment
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DIGITAL EXPOSED: The Grand Social FASHION EXPOSED 2012



A virtual shop is no longer a “trend” – it’s now become part of everyday retailing. The Grand Social co-founder and co-director, Jean-Claude Abouchar spoke at Fashion Exposed today to show how you can improve your e-commerce presence and incorporate omni-channelling into your retail mix.

Opening its virtual doors in 2008, The Grand Social was the first fashion e-commerce business in the world to host smaller online stores, which are owned and controlled by individual brands. Jean-Claude is co-founder and co-director.

THE GRAND SOCIAL TOP TIPS

We are living in The Democratisation of Fashion. The old rules don’t apply anymore and consumers have changed their buying habits.

1. New Shopping Experiences – Fancy it – part store, blog, wishlist and magazine.

2. Advocates are your sales force – social shopping platforms allow customers to promote your product.

3. The industry isn’t seasonal. People want stuff right now. Online retail is mainstream. Your customers shop globally.

4. Look into Behaviour Based Targeting – deliver personalised content that appeals directly to that target.

5. Real Time Data for decisions – online shopping allows us to understand what is selling and what isn’t performing straight away with accurate data.

6. Connecting with consumers at the right time & saying the right thing will result in increased conversion online.

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DIGITAL EXPOSED: Going mobile at FASHION EXPOSED 2012

Retail is becoming increasingly mobile. Carol Barton is founder of Mobile Muse, specialising in mobile apps, websites, Look Books and iPad kiosks for the retail and arts sectors. Fashion clients include L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, Backstage Fix, Forever New and Talulah. Carol has extensive experience in online with leading travel media companies Lonely Planet and BBC Worldwide.

She spoke at Fashion Exposed Melbourne to reveal how you can improve your mobile presence with iphone apps, ipad apps, m-commerce & other retail mobile technologies.

THE KEY MOBILE TRENDS

1. QR CODES – Blurring the lines between online and offline retail

2. Augmented Reality – Great for interactive window displays, treasure hunts.

3. iPad magazines/lookbooks – Used for pre-browsing collections, interactive self serve shopping tools and for virtual shops

4. Mobile payments – mCommerce, mWallets, mPayments – the new ways we are using smart phones

5. Mobile Check out – Easing queue’s in store by using mobile point of sale

6. Google Wallet, Apple Passport & PayPal in store – 3 new ways to pay using these well known brands

Top Tips
1. Get rid of flash
2. Re-allocate some of your print budget into digital
3. Mobilize your website
4. Understand your customers needs with mobile platforms
5. Don’t forget about a mobile version of your newsletter
6. Set some incremental goals
7. App or website – do your research and pick one or if you can do both
8. Don’t wait for the perfect time to go mobile – you’ll be left behind

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BUSINESS EXPOSED: Boo Radley Case Study FASHION EXPOSED 2012



Boo Radley is a contemporary women’s fashion range for boutique stores producing 7 annual ranges for sizes 8 – 18 and is found in over 500 boutiques in the Southern Hemisphere as well as their own concept stores throughout Australia.

David Sibel – Director of Boo Radley and David Guest (their business coach) presented this Business Case Study looked into their business strategy and how they have become one of the most successful fashion brands in their category.

David Guest is one of Australia’s leading business coaches and presenters. Having over 25 years of business experience in over 10 different businesses has given him the intimate understanding and knowledge of what businesses needs to be successful. For the past 12 years David has focused exclusively on coaching small and medium business.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , boo radley, , business case study, business coach, case study, , contemporary fashion, , david guest, david sibel, director, , , , , , , , , , , fashion range, , , , , , retail fashion, , , , , , , , , , , , , women, | Leave a comment
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TRENDS EXPOSED: Autumn Winter 2012/13 with WGSN



WGSN reveal the key trends for Autumn Winter 2012/13 from colours, fabrics & silhouettes that will influence the Australian fashion industry at Premiere boutique trade event and Fashion Exposed Melbourne, 2012.

In February 2008, Jen was appointed WGSN Business Development Manager for Australia and New Zealand to oversee all new business development across Australasia.

WGSN is the leading online fashion trend-analysis and research service providing creative and business intelligence for the apparel, style, design and retail industries.

THE KEY ITEMS

1. The zipped through Coat

2. The boxy biker jacket

3. Panelled Sheath dress

4. Leather pencil skirt

5. Cropped Cigarette pant

6. Luxe sweat top

7. Men’s Classic crombies coat

8. Men’s Vintage style hiking jacket

9. Men’s Cord 2 SB (2 button single breasted jacket)

10. Men’s Simple Button down shirts

11. Men’s Patterned knits

12. Men’s Fine gauge polo neck

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , autumn winter 2012/13 trends, bags, bags & accessories, bags & accessories trade fair, , , , , , , , , , , , , , premiere boutique trade event, , , , , , , , trade, , , , , , , wgsn, wgsn trend report, | Leave a comment
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